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Our Ohio State headlines email newsletter delivers Buckeyes athletics news from
The Dispatch. Sent weekday mornings and Saturday game days during football season. You'll
also be alerted when breaking news happens involving the Buckeyes.

Columbus Blue Jackets Today

NFL owners likely will consider expanding the playoffs by two teams, beginning in 2015, when
they hold their spring meetings in Orlando, Fla., next week, but a vote on the subject is
uncertain.

A groundswell for raising the number of playoff qualifiers to seven in each conference figures
to get plenty of support from the 32 owners.

The current format of four division winners and two wild-card teams has existed since 2002, when
Houston joined the league as an expansion team, bringing the membership to 32.

Also on the agenda will be alterations to extra points, changing who oversees video replay
reviews and further clamping down on the use of racial slurs by players during games.

• Former Browns quarterback
Jason Campbell has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Bengals, a
league source told ESPN.

Meanwhile, former Broncos defensive end
Robert Ayers met with Bengals, who are looking to add to their line. Ayers played
in 15 games last season, starting three.

• Panthers quarterback
Cam Newton underwent successful surgery to repair ligament damage in his left
ankle, the team announced. The full recovery period is expected to be approximately four months,
which would take Newton until the start of training camp.

• After nine seasons with the Titans, kicker
Rob Bironas was released by the team.

Bironas is the second-leading scorer in Oilers/Titans franchise history with 1,032 points,
trailing only
Al Del Greco, and his .857 career field-goal percentage ranks fourth in NFL
history.

• It appears that veteran free-agent quarterback
Michael Vick will visit the New York Jets this weekend. According to reports, the
Jets are interested in Vick after failing to land free-agent quarterback
Josh McCown, who signed a two-year contract last week with the Buccaneers.

•
Eric Winston was elected president of the NFL Players Association. The 30-year-old
was the Cardinals’ starting right tackle last season, his eighth in the league. He currently is a
free agent.

High schools

Former Pickerington basketball coach honored

The Ohio High School Athletic Association honored retired boys basketball coach
Pete Liptrap with its annual Coaches Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award.
Liptrap spent 20 years at the original Pickerington High School and 10 years at Pickerington North,
compiling a 406-263 overall record.

Soccer

American Cherundolo to retire after 15 seasons

American defender
Steve Cherundolo, nicknamed “Mayor of Hannover” during a 15-year career that saw
him play for just one club and rise to captain, is retiring because of persistent knee
injuries.

Cherundolo, 35, was a member of the U.S. team at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cup and played in
a club-record 302 Bundesliga games for Hannover.

He had two goals in 87 appearances for the U.S. He was part of the American team that won the
2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

• Host Toluca defeated the San Jose Earthquakes on penalties in Mexico to advance to the
CONCACAF Champions League semifinals for the second time.

Tied at 1 after extra time, San Jose’s
Shea Salinas missed a penalty kick to allow the Toluca to advance with a 5-4 win
in the shootout.

Ty Harden put the Earthquakes ahead in the 56th minute off a cross from Salinas,
before
Isaac Brizuela tied it in the 69th minute.

Tennis

Murray says Lendl is no longer his coach

Andy Murray and
Ivan Lendl ended their partnership, with Murray announcing on his website that
Lendl would no longer be coaching him.